Opera-chair.



UNITED STATES "JOHN A. WILKINSON, OF NEV YORK,

TO JOHN G. MARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, LEE B. MENEFEE, OF I-IOUS- TON,TEXAS, AND OSCAR R. MENEFEE, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

OPERA- N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming perf. of Lettere :Patent No. 714,547, datedNovember 25, 1 902- Application filed June B, 1901. Serial No. 63,704.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. WILKINSON,

" a citizen of the United States, residing at New adapted to turn androtate one-quarter of a` revolution on their support'in order to aifordfree space all around them.

The present improvement comprises a new arrangement and combination ofparts where- I by the chair is not only caused to turn around a quarterof a revolution automatically on folding up the seat, but when desiringto be used the folded chair automatically opens out, the seat unfolding,and the arms coming down into their horizontal place, all. by the act ofrevolving the chair a quarter of a revolution to its place of occupancy.

To enable others to practice my invention,

I have shown the sar-nein the annexed drawtegrally with the chair-frame,the cap hav-` ing a recess inclosing a head formed on the standard.

In the present structure the recessed capsection carries branches,sometimes called a yoke, being part of the chair-body. The portion ofthe standard on which t-he recessed cap rotates is reduced in diameter,and the head, as well as therecess therefor in the cap, is dispensedwith by ad ding an extensionstem for steadying the cap-section above thev standard.

In the annexed drawings I have shown a rotary and folding seat chairwhichillustrates my invention, in which- 5o Figure l is a front view ofthe chair, showing the seat folded up. Fig. 2 is a side view of thechair obtained by turning the same a quarter-revolution to the left, thebase of the standard being in the same position as Fig. l. Fig, 3 is aside view of Fig. l as viewed from the right-hand side, but showing theseat unfolded and opened out for use. Fig. fl is a sectionalV View ofthe standard and a portion of the chair-frame.

t A is the standard, supporting the chair by its frame.

B indicates the chair-seat, suitably pivoted at the rear to thechair-frame.

C is the chair-back. The standard A has circumferential shoulders e,whose surfaces are helical, forming two sets of circular inclinesdiametrically opposite each other, and the under surfaces of the caprest on the shoulders c and are Vinclined to correspond. 7o The two setsof helical surfaces of the cap and standard form a stop att' where theymeet, consisting of an abrupt change of angle which limits the rotationof the chair to a quarter-revolution. inclined from the perpendicular,and a piece of wood or leather t', Fig. 2, is` inserted between theopposed surfaces to form a buffer for reducing the noise of impact. Theupper partof the standard above the helical shoul- 8o ders is diminishedin diameter to form a mandrel L, which is fitted lin the cap to allowthe latter to rotate freely thereon.

To impart firmness to the folding chair when rotating on the standard, Iprovide an extension-stem 7c, which is fixed in the top of th'e standardand passes out through. the top ofthe cap. By this means the cap is controlled and steadied in the rising of thechair on the circularinclines.The stem is threaded 9o into the standard and has a head m, which servesas an adjustable stop to limit the rising movement of the chair whenturned aside and retired. In chairs of this variety as now `made thepivotal cap I carries a key h, which when the chair is in place andopened out The angle of the stop is 75 i for occupation locks the chairfast and prevents it from revolving, and said key when the seat infolded condition is turned aside vand retired from use also locks thesame against unfolding.

The chair is pivotally mounted on the standard by means of acap-section, which has branches G G integral therewith, forming a partof the chair-frame. Extending upward from the branches G are uprights E,which at the upper end are carried back at right angles and formstationary arm-rests b integral therewith.

Folding arm-rests F are hinged at a to the fixed arm-rests b, so as toallow them to fold and unfold automatically by the folding movement ofthe chair-seat. For this purpose the arms F are operatively connectedwith the chair-seat by means of links H, shown as pivoted at the lowerend to the side of the seat by trunnions fixed in the frame of the seat,as indicated at c, and at the upper end the links are jointed with thearms F. In this manner the arms F are compelled to follow the foldingmotion of the seat, rising from a horizontal to the upright position, asshown in Fig. l, by the act of folding up the seat and coming to thehorizontal when the seat is opened out, as shown in Fig. 2.

The chair-back is pivoted at fr to the fixed arms b, allowing the backto oscillate thereon, the lower end of the back moving toward and awayfrom the standard when the upper end moves in the contrary direction.The locking-key h, adapted to enter a socket therefor in thestandard-mandrel L to lock the chair against turning, is jointed to aprojection J on the lower end of the chair-back.

The seat is operatively connected with the chair-back, so that theoperation of one will move the other. For this purpose the chairback isprovided at the lower end with brackets N, having cam-slots which areengaged by the pivot-trunnions c aforenamed,which slide up and down inthe slots with the folding action of the seat, the back moving backwardslightly at the lower end as and when the seat folds up, while the upperend of the back moves forward, thereby bringing the back to a nearlyvertical position when the chair as a whole is in the folded condition.

By the operative connection of the seat with the chair-back in themanner described while neither can move without the other either one maybe moved by the other. Thus when the chair is being folded uppreparatory to being turned a quarter-revolution from the place of useto a place of retirement the act of' so folding the seat causes thetrunnions thereon working in the cam-brackets N to move the backoutward, withdraw the key h, and unlock the chair from the standard,whereupon, obeying its own Weight acting through the inclined surfacesof the cap and standard, the chair automatically revolves a quarterturnand descending slightly retires to a p0- sition at right angles to thatwhen occupied for use. When the chair is thus folded up and retired, thekey 7L then rests on the solid part of the mandrel L within thestandard, and by preventing any motion of the chairback locks the seatin folded condition.

When the chair is desired for use and is to be unfolded, it is firstturned forward a quarter-revolution from its place of retirement to thatof occupation, and the key is brought to its socket in the mandrel L,releasing such key, allowing the chair to be unfolded for use. It is ofadvantage when the chair is thus turned to its place for use to have thechair-seat open out automatically ready for occupation immediately uponcoming into position.

It is a feature of my present improvement that by the act of turning thechair on the standard to bring it to its normal position for occupancythe chair automatically unfolds and opens out, presenting all the partsin their place for use. In order to accomplish this,means are providedfor causing the chairseat, immediately upon the locking-key beingreleased, to spring away from the chairback at the upper edge. For thispurpose a suitable spring is introduced and applied in such a manner asto produce the desired effect, and for illustration I have shown aspring Z, Figs. 2 and 3, attached by one end to the projection J of theback C and by the other end to the cap I of the chair-frame. When theseat is folded up, the spring is slightly distended, and when the key isreleased, as aforesaid, to enter its socket the spring gives a slightpull to the chair-back, which by its operative connection with the seatgives the latteran outward impulse, causingit to unfold, the actionbeing completed by the weight of the seat. In this manner the chair iscaused to open out automatically, the seat unfolding and the arms comingdown to their place, as shown in Fig. 3, by the act of turning the chairinto position to be occupied.

The foregoing improvements may be modified without departing from theessential invention set forth. The spring Z in some cases may be made toencircle the key 7i.

I claim as my invention- In a chair, the combination of a standard, aframe rotating upon the standard, a seat hinged to the frame and foldingup against the back, a folding back hinged to the frame, meansconnecting the seat and back, means for locking the frame to thestandard against rotation, impelling means for positively moving thelower end of the back inwardly when the chair is in position to beunfolded, whereby an initial opening movement is given to the seat bythe im pact of the back against the seat.

JOHN A. WILKINSON.

Witnesses:

EARLE H. SMITH, WALTER A. LooKE.

IOO

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